


Lose You Slowly

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cheating, Children, Confrontations, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Infidelity, Love Triangles, Married Couple, Married Life, On Hiatus, POV Multiple, Pregnancy, The Walk Era, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:38:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9602054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: Natalie and Zac have been married for six years but when his first love comes back into the picture all of that comes crumbling down, leaving them both wondering just where the pieces will fall in the end.





	

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpt: "Before the old cow you call a wife realizes you aren't really at the studio."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Natalie frowned as she sat on her front porch a hand resting on her seven month pregnant belly. Her oldest three children were in bed and her husband Zac was still off at the studio working late. He had been working late ever since finding out she was pregnant again. She guessed it was because they hadn't really planed on having more kids and he blamed her. He blamed her because she had gotten pregnant when things were rough anyway. She had gotten pregnant when Zac had been contemplating divorce anyway.

Sighing she reached for the glass of iced tea on the porch beside her, taking a sip. Zac had accused her recently of getting pregnant to trap him into staying. He had also accused her of getting pregnant with their first born son just so he would marry her because as he had said she knew he was contemplating going back to his first love. His first love had just gotten done with college and Zac did tell her that he had been spending time with her.

It had hurt Natalie then and she had been expecting Zac to dump her. Hell the night she had found out she was pregnant with Carter their now five almost six year old son she was sure Zac had came to dump her but instead of dumping her he had asked her to marry him.

Then when she got pregnant with their daughter Kennedy who was three things had been better. They had been better and Natalie had thought that maybe Zac had fallen in love with her. That he had fallen in love with her. Hell things had been so good between them that not long after having Kennedy she had gotten pregnant with their two year old son Mason.

"But I was wrong," she whispered to herself as she looked down at the wedding band on her finger. Zac's ex had waltzed back into town just four months before Natalie got pregnant with this baby and of course Zac had gotten wrapped around her finger again. She wasn't sure she could ever compete with Nikki for Zac's love. Nikki was just so much better than Natalie ever could or would be.

Finishing her tea, Natalie stood from the porch holding the empty cup in her hand. She knew if she set the cup down she'd never be able to bend down and get it or if she did bend down she'd never get back up. Being seven months pregnant was just too much on her, especially since she'd be thirty-one in a matter of months.

Heading inside she shut and locked the door then made her way into the kitchen where she washed her dirty cup before putting it in the drainer. After that was done she reached for the phone dialing Isaac's number. She figured if Zac was working late then Isaac would be too which meant Kate was probably still up.

"Hello," Kate's voice came over the phone after the third ring.

Natalie smiled feeling comforted by the fact that Kate was still up. "Hey," she smiled as she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. "I was just calling to talk. I'm kind of bored and lonely with Zac working late and all. I figured you'd be the same since Isaac is probably working late too."

Kate who sat in her bed was confused by Natalie mentioning the guys working late. "But they aren't working late tonight Nat," she said as she looked at Isaac who laid beside her reading one of his western novels that she hated. "In fact Ike said they actually left early mainly because tonight is Taylor and Lavender's one year wedding anniversary."

"Oh," Natalie responded as she chewed on her lip. She had forgotten that today was Taylor and Lavender's anniversary, mainly because Taylor and Lavender had eloped in Vegas after just two months of dating. "Zac still isn't home then," she frowned not liking the images in her head of where her husband could be at. She had a feeling he was with Nikki and that made her feel sick.

Kate heard Natalie say Zac wasn't home and she frowned. She knew where Natalie's thoughts had to be now. That Zac was off with Nikki his first love..the woman who still had him wrapped around her finger. "Maybe Zac choose to stay behind at the offices and it slipped Isaac's mind," she shrugged feeling Isaac turn to look at her shaking his head no. She wouldn't tell Natalie that Isaac had said different.

"Maybe," Natalie shrugged before looking down at her wedding band again. She knew Kate was trying to ease her worries and she was forever grateful for that but deep down she had a feeling her husband was off with Nikki. "How is the baby doing?" Natalie asked deciding to change the subject off of her husband and onto Kate and Isaac's second son who was three months old today.

"Drew is doing well," Kate smiled when Natalie asked how the baby is doing. "Turned three months old today and it feels like time is flying by though it also feels that way with Dallas as well."

Natalie laughed some knowing what Kate meant about feeling as if time flew. "Tell me about," she agreeing nodding her head. "I think that way each time I look at Carter. I keep asking myself where did that precious baby I held in my arms on Halloween of 2008 go too."

Kate just smiled more glad that Natalie's mind now seemed to be off of Zac and his douche ways that he seemed to get every time Nikki was in his orbit. "Our babies just need to stop growing up," Kate opined right as she heard a baby cry from down the hall. "Which speaking of I think that Drew is awake. Call me tomorrow okay Nat?"

"Kay I will," Natalie nodded as she chewed on her lip. She really didn't want Kate to get off the phone because then she'd be alone with her thoughts but she wasn't going to guilt her friend into making Isaac get the baby. After bidding Kate a goodbye Natalie stood up from the table and put the phone back in it's cradle.

Slowly she left the kitchen making her way upstairs and to the empty bedroom where she changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed. She really hated sleeping alone especially now that she knew her husband was probably off with another woman.

Feeling the baby kick Natalie put her hand on the spot and sighed, "I wish your daddy would realize what an asshole he is being," she spoke before closing her eyes. "He doesn't realize just how close he is to losing me or you guys."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zac smiled as he looked down at the woman he held in his arms. He knew it was wrong lying to Natalie about being in the studio late but he couldn't pass up an opportunity to be with Nikki. Nikki had been back for almost a year and yet he still couldn't be with her in the ways he wanted too mainly because Natalie had done exactly what she did six years ago. She had conveniently gotten pregnant. Then she had gotten pregnant so he would marry her and dump Nikki but this time she had gotten pregnant to keep him as her husband.

He knew there was no way she couldn't have known that he would want to go to Nikki. She knew like everyone else that Nikki was always the woman who had his heart no matter how much time he was married to Natalie, no matter how many kids he shared with Natalie he wasn't in love with her. He hadn't been in love with her when he married her. He had just done the right thing and when Nikki had left two months after his wedding to Natalie and went back to where she went to college at in Florida he had promised he would try.

Zac had tried too, he had tried for six years and two more babies later but he still wasn't over Nikki, something that had been proven when she came back at the end of 2013. He wasn't over her and he let himself pull away from Natalie. He had even let arguments happen in hopes she'd get fed up and leave him but instead she had wound up pregnant. Apparently he hadn't got the memo she had decided to stop taking her birth control.

"You should go home," Nikki spoke as she kissed Zac's bare chest softly. "Before the old cow you call a wife realizes you aren't really at the studio."

Frowning at Nikki's words Zac knew she was right. He did need to get home to Natalie even if he didn't want too. He just wanted to stay with Nikki and be with her like he always should have been. "I wish I could stay," he told her as he slipped out of her bed and got dressed. "Just stay here with you and be happy."

"Then why don't you?" Nikki asked him as she sat up in bed, wrapping the blankets around herself. "Why don't you choose to stay here and be with me. Leave Natalie and let yourself be happy."

Zac frowned more at Nikki's words, "Because she is pregnant again. You know I'd feel guilty if I just left her while she was carrying my child. No..I'll just I need to wait until she at least has the baby. A few months after so it seems less heartless to the people I know. To my fans."

Rolling her eyes Nikki fell back on the bed, "You shouldn't give a shit what your fans think," she told him honestly as she watched him pull his hair back into a ponytail. "I'm sure most of them would understand if they knew you never loved her. Hell from what I read online most of them suspect there is trouble in paradise anyway."

Laughing Zac leaned down to kiss Nikki briefly before standing back up, "Doesn't mean I have to prove them right just yet," he told her before turning and leaving her bedroom without another thought. As he walked out of her apartment he reached up to touch the necklace that held his wedding band making sure it was still securely in place. Natalie would flip her shit if he came home without and there were a few times he almost had. Especially when Nikki liked to rip it off of him making him have to buy a new cord before going home.

Going to his truck he got in and started it up driving home to the woman he wished he weren't married too. The woman who he had a family with.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Natalie awoke in bed a few hours later as she heard the bedroom door open. Reaching over as best as she could with her pregnant belly in the way, she flipped on the lamp. She turned her head just in time to see Zac stripping down to his boxers a guilty smile on his face.

"Where were you?" she asked him when he crawled into bed beside her. She knew he wouldn't give her the truth but she wanted to ask anyway.

Zac looked at Natalie forcing a fake smile, "At the studio," he said before leaning in to kiss her cheek softly. "You know Taylor's been loving keeping us late these past few months."

"Even on his anniversary?" Natalie asked him as she forced her own smile. "Because when I called Kate earlier just to talk she said you guys left early."

Going silent at Natalie's revelation that she knew he had left the studio early Zac felt his cheeks grow hot as he blushed. He had been caught in a lie. He wasn't stupid though, he knew Natalie knew where he had been. She knew he had been with Nikki. Natalie may have looked dumb to some people but she wasn't. That was one of things he admired about her.

"I was with a friend," he admitted to half the truth anyway. It was the best he could give her.

Natalie rolled her eyes but reached over turning the light off beside the bed. "I'm sure you were," she muttered as she turned her back towards Zac. "I hope she was at least good in bed," she snipped out feeling Zac's arm creeping around her waist as he pulled her into him.

"I wasn't with Nikki," Zac lied to Natalie as his lips briefly kissed the spot on her neck below where her mole was. A spot he knew she liked to be kissed. "I wouldn't do that to you."

Closing her eyes Natalie huffed some, "Correction you would do that. You would just never tell me so I couldn't use it against you if you filed for divorce."

At those words Zac went silent. The only thing filling the room was Natalie's soft breaths which evened out as she went back to sleep. She had been right. He wouldn't tell her because he was afraid she'd counter him and file as well except she'd use adultery and then everyone would know just how bad of a man he was, even if he was cheating with the woman he loved.

Biting his lip as he watched Natalie sleep he let his hand travel up to her stomach where he could feel their baby kicking softly every so often. Each kick reminded him of just how horrible he was being at least to his children. The affair he was having was taking away from time with them. It was making him a bad father. He had already been a shitty husband.


End file.
